Big Ten links: Scroll through Wednesday's best headlines

The rule makes it permissible for staff members to like, retweet, favorite or endorse a recruit’s post in any way on public social media platforms. They aren’t allowed to tweet directly at recruits. Well, I have a feeling it won’t be long before there are no barriers involving coaches/recruits/Twitter. Just give it another year or two.

Bullough is the centerpiece of what’s expected to be a position of strength for Michigan State’s defense. The preseason depth chart includes junior returning starter Jon Reschke and Andrew Dowell at either side of Bullough, although junior Chris Frey is also a strong contender for a starting spot. The Spartans are also hopeful to have former starter Ed Davis back for his sixth year of eligibility.

“I think we can go two deep at every one of them, and really we can go beyond that,” Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said.

Now, the line has to come together. If it does, this will be a very good defense.

A big key to being embraced again in Ann Arbor, according to Quinn: The Fab Five needs to put on a better public face. Recent years have seen Chris Webber, alone on an island, spar with Jalen Rose, and sometimes others, about whose version of reality is, well, reality. The animosity has been vivid and makes it difficult to believe that any discourse can occur without devolving into a blame game for all to see. What’s needed before anything is a ceasefire of petulance.

Tate notes that the extra Big Ten game likely decreases the chances for fringe bowl teams to make the postseason. Building programs used to be able to count on three or four non-con wins to pad their resume. That meant fewer league wins were needed to reach the six-win level. Bill Mallory used to make a killing by going 4-0 vs. a soft non-league schedule and then just needing two Big Ten wins for bowl eligibility. Now, the road to six wins and bowl eligibility is more difficult.

He thinks Michigan is the best team in the Big Ten East, and Iowa is best in the West. But he has got Ohio State, behind Big Ten MVP J.T. Barrett, routing Minnesota — yes, Minnesota — in the league championship game Dec. 3 in Indianapolis. I likely.

I guess I was a bit surprised to see Iowa come in at 25. Kudos to Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz. And Wisconsin is No. 24. This is an interesting Badger factoid: During a 29-year span from 1964-92, the Badgers had just 10 poll appearances. Since ’92, Wisconsin has made 215 poll appearances. Thank you, Barry Alvarez.